Multi-diameter bone pin for installing and aligning bone fixation plate while minimizing bone damage

ABSTRACT

A driving pin can be used for installing a bone plate on a bone. In some examples, the driving pin has a driving pin body extending from a proximal end to a distal end. The driving pin body may define at least three regions of different cross-sectional thickness, including a bone penetrating region adjacent the distal end, a driving region adjacent the proximal end, and a bone plate orienting region between the bone penetrating region and the driving region. In general, the bone penetrating region has a smaller cross-sectional thickness than the bone plate orienting region and the bone plate orienting region has a smaller cross-sectional thickness than the driving region. The bone plate orienting region may be sized to conform to the size of a fixation hole extending through bone plate.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a divisional of U.S. application Ser. No. 16/510,682, filed Jul. 12, 2019, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/697,391, filed Jul. 12, 2018, the entire contents of both of which are incorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This disclosure relates to bone fixation and, more particularly, to devices and techniques for fixating bones.

BACKGROUND

Bones, such as the bones of a foot, may be anatomically misaligned. In certain circumstances, surgical intervention is required to correctly align the bones to reduce patient discomfort and improve patient quality of life. Surgical intervention may involve cutting one or more of the misaligned bones and then physically realigning the bones into an anatomically corrected position. A bone plate or multiple bone plates may be used to hold the bones in the anatomically corrected position, helping to prevent the bones from shifting back to their misaligned position.

SUMMARY

In general, this disclosure is directed a driving pin that can be used for installing a bone plate on a bone as well as related systems, kits, and techniques. In some examples, the driving pin has a driving pin body extending from a proximal end to a distal end. The driving pin body may define at least three regions of different cross-sectional thickness, including a bone penetrating region adjacent the distal end, a driving region adjacent the proximal end, and a bone plate orienting region between the bone penetrating region and the driving region. In general, the bone penetrating region has a smaller cross-sectional thickness than the bone plate orienting region and the bone plate orienting region has a smaller cross-sectional thickness than the driving region. The bone plate orienting region may be sized to conform to the size of a fixation hole extending through a bone plate.

In one example, a bone plate system is described that includes a bone plate and a driving pin. The bone plate includes a body and a fixation hole. The body defines a length extending from a first end to a second end, a top surface, and a bone facing surface opposite the top surface. The fixation hole extends through a thickness of the body from the top surface to the bone facing surface and defines a fixation hole diameter. The driving pin extends from a proximal end to a distal end and defines at least three regions of different cross-sectional thickness, including a bone penetrating region adjacent the distal end, a driving region adjacent the proximal end, and bone plate orienting region between the bone penetrating region and the driving region. The example specifies that the bone penetrating region has a smaller cross-sectional thickness than the bone plate orienting region, the bone plate orienting region has a smaller cross-sectional thickness than the driving region, and the bone plate orienting region has a size corresponding to the fixation hole diameter.

In another example, a driving pin is described. The driving pin includes a driving pin body extending from a proximal end to a distal end and defining at least three regions of different cross-sectional thickness, including a bone penetrating region adjacent the distal end, a driving region adjacent the proximal end, and a bone plate orienting region between the bone penetrating region and the driving region. The example specifies that the bone penetrating region has a smaller cross-sectional thickness than the bone plate orienting region and the bone plate orienting region has a smaller cross-sectional thickness than the driving region.

In another example, a method is described that includes inserting a bone penetrating region of a driving pin adjacent a distal end of the driving pin through a fixation hole of a bone plate. The method also includes positioning a bone plate orienting region of the driving pin co-linear with the fixation hole of the bone plate and coupling a driving region of the driving pin adjacent a proximal end of the driving pin with a driver. The example specifies that the bone penetrating region has a smaller cross-sectional thickness than the bone plate orienting region, the bone plate orienting region has a smaller cross-sectional thickness than the driving region, and the bone plate orienting region has a size corresponding to the fixation hole of the bone plate.

The details of one or more examples are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, objects, and advantages will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is side view of an example driving pin according to the disclosure.

FIGS. 2-5 are different illustrations showing an example deployment of the driving pin of FIG. 1 .

FIG. 6 illustrates the driving pin of FIG. 1 inserted into a bone at an initial placement position.

FIG. 7 illustrates the driving pin of FIG. 1 inserted into the bone of FIG. 6 at a modified placement position.

FIG. 8 illustrates the initial driving pin placement position of FIG. 6 overlaid with the modified driving pin placement position of FIG. 7 .

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present disclosure is generally directed to driving pins for installing bone plates, bone plate systems, kits, and associated techniques. A driving pin according to the disclosure can be used to help install a bone plate for internal fixation of a bone or bones during a surgical procedure, such as a bone alignment, osteotomy, fusion procedure, fracture repair, and/or other procedures where one or more bones are to be set in a desired position. Such a procedure can be performed, for example, on bones (e.g., adjacent bones separated by a joint or different portions of a single bone) in the foot or hand, where bones are relatively small compared to bones in other parts of the human anatomy. In one example, a procedure utilizing an embodiment of the driving pin can be performed to correct an alignment between a metatarsal (e.g. a first metatarsal) and a cuneiform (e.g., a first/medial cuneiform), such as a bunion correction. An example of such a procedure is a lapidus procedure. In another example, the procedure can be performed by modifying an alignment of a metatarsal (e.g. a first metatarsal). An example of such a procedure is a basilar metatarsal osteotomy procedure.

In various examples, the driving pin may be inserted into a bone of the foot, such as a metatarsal (e.g., first metatarsal) and/or cuneiform (e.g., medial cuneiform). For example, the driving pin may be used to install a bone plate having one or more fixation holes though which a bone fixation member is installed into a metatarsal and one or more fixation holes though which a bone fixation member is installed into a cuneiform (e.g., with the bone plate crossing the tarsal-metatarsal joint).

FIG. 1 is side view of an example driving pin 10 according to the disclosure. Driving pin 10 can be used to install a bone plate on a bone. For example, driving pin 10 may be connected to a driver (e.g., impact driver, rotary driver, drill) that uses driving pin 10 to impart a force for opening a hole in a bone underlying a bone plate. Additionally or alternatively, a clinician utilizing driving pin 10 can apply a force through a hammer or other hand-powered instrument to drive the driving pin. In either case, after creating the hole and/or orienting the bone plate using driving pin 10, the driving pin can be removed from the bone and bone plate. A bone fixation member (e.g., bone screw) can then be inserted into the opening created by driving pin 10 to permanently hold the bone plate to the bone.

In the illustrated example, driving pin 10 defines a body that extends from a proximal end 12 to a distal end 14. The body defines multiple regions of different cross-sectional thickness which, in the illustrated example, is shown as at least three regions of different cross-sectional thickness. For example, the body of driving pin 10 may define a bone penetrating region 16 adjacent the distal end, a driving region 18 adjacent the proximal end, and bone plate orienting region 20 between the bone penetrating region and the driving region. Bone penetrating region 16 can have a smaller cross-sectional thickness than the bone plate orienting region 20. Bone plate orienting region 20 may have a smaller cross-sectional thickness than driving region 18 or, in other implementations, can have the same cross-sectional thickness or a larger cross-sectional thickness than driving region 18.

Configuring driving pin 10 with multiple cross-sectional thicknesses can be useful to provide different functionalities while limiting unnecessary trauma to the bone in which the driving pin is engaged. For example, bone penetrating region 16 can be sized comparatively small to minimize bone damage and ease insertion of the distal end of the driving pin. Bone plate orienting region 20 may be larger and be sized complementary to the dimeter of a fixation hole of the bone plate in which the driving pin is to be inserted. This can provide close conformance between the driving pin and the bone plate, e.g., for accurately rotating the bone plate about the driving pin to orient the bone plate during installation. Driving region 18 may be larger and sized for engagement with a driver to be used in the process. In some configurations, driving pin 10 is provided as part of a kit that includes other driving instruments (e.g., pins, k-wires) and has the same diameter as one or more of those other instruments to provide a uniform driving connection size across the instruments. In other words, driving pin 10 may be part of a kit (e.g., where all the components of the kit are contained in a sterile case) having one or more (and optionally two or more) other instruments, each having a substantially same diameter shaft and each being configured to couple to a same driver for driving the instruments.

In general, driving pin 10 have any have desired cross-sectional shape, including polygonal shapes, arcuate shapes, and combinations thereof. In some configurations, at least bone penetrating region 16, driving region 18, and bone plate orienting region 20 of the driving pin have a circular cross-sectional shape.

While driving pin 10 have a variety of different sizes, in some examples, bone penetrating region 16 has a diameter ranging from 0.1 mm to 2 mm and/or bone plate orienting region 20 has a diameter ranging from 0.5 to 3 mm and/or driving region 18 has a diameter ranging from 1.6 mm to 3.7 mm. For example, bone penetrating region 16 may have a diameter ranging from 1 mm to 2 mm, and bone plate orienting region 20 may have a diameter ranging from 1 mm to 2 mm.

As noted, bone plate orienting region 20 may be sized complementary to the dimeter of a fixation hole of a bone plate in which the driving pin is to be inserted. In some examples, bone plate orienting region 20 has an outer diameter that is less than 20 percent smaller than the diameter of the fixation hole of the bone plate in which the driving pin is to be inserted, such as less than 10 percent smaller, less than 5 percent smaller, or less than 2 percent smaller. For example, bone plate orienting region 20 may have a cross-sectional size plus or minus 0.2 mm or less of the size of the fixation hole of the bone plate, such as a size plus or minus 0.1 mm or less, or plus or minus 0.1 mm or less. This can provide close conformance between the driving pin and the bone plate, e.g., for accurately rotating the bone plate about the driving pin to orient the bone plate during installation. In applications where a drill guide 60 is used (as discussed below) and the drill guide is secured (e.g., threaded) into an inner diameter of the fixation hole of the bone plate, the drill guide may provide a smaller diameter opening than the fixation hole through which driving pin 10 can be inserted. Accordingly, any of the relative sizes and dimensions discussed herein, including immediately above, as being relative to the cross-sectional size or diameter of a fixation hole may instead be provided relative to an internal cross-sectional size or diameter of a drill guide inserted into a fixation hole.

Driving pin 10 can have one or more regions of different cross-sectional thickness than bone penetrating region 16, driving region 18, and bone plate orienting region 20. For example, in the illustrated example, driving pin 10 includes a fourth region 22 of greater cross-sectional thickness than at least bone penetrating region 16 and bone plate orienting region 20. In the illustrated configuration, fourth region 22 also has a cross-sectional thickness greater than driving region 18. Fourth region 22 is positioned proximally of bone plate orienting region 20 and can have a cross-sectional thickness greater than that of a bone plate fixation hole diameter and/or drill guide into which driving pin 10 is configured to be inserted. Fourth region 22 can function as a feature that limits that downward insertion depth of driving pin 10 as it is being inserted through a bone plate and/or drill guide. When included, fourth region 22 may be integral (e.g. permanently formed with) a remainder of the driving pin body or may be part of a multi-piece assembly that is separately attachable to the driving pin.

Fourth region 22 can have any desired cross-sectional shape (e.g., round, spherical, rectangular, triangular, elliptical), and the cross-sectional shape may be the same as or different than that of adjacent sections of the driving pin. In some examples, fourth region 22 has a cross-sectional thickness ranging from 1.5 mm to 12 mm, such as from 2 mm to 5 mm.

Driving pin 10 may define a sharp transition between the regions of different cross-sectional thickness or may have a tapered transition between the regions of different cross-sectional thickness. In the example of FIG. 1 , driving pin 10 has a tapered cross-sectional dimension 24 transitioning between driving region 18 and bone plate orienting region 20. The illustrated example also has a bone penetrating region 16 that tapers to a point 26 at the distal end 14 of the driving pin.

Driving pin 10 can be used as part of a bone plate system to install a bone plate. FIGS. 2-5 are different illustrations showing an example deployment of driving pin 10 to install an example bone plate. Additional details on example bone realignment techniques and devices with which driving pin 10 may be used are described in U.S. Pat. No. 9,622,805, titled “BONE POSITIONING AND PREPARING GUIDE SYSTEMS AND METHODS,” filed on Dec. 28, 2015 and issued Apr. 18, 2017, and U.S. Pat. No. 10,245,088, titled “BONE PLATING SYSTEM AND METHOD,” filed on Jan. 7, 2016 and issued on Apr. 2, 2019. The entire contents of each of these documents are hereby incorporated by reference.

With reference to FIG. 2 , driving pin 10 is illustrated as part of a bone plate system that includes a bone plate 50. Bone plate 50 defines a length extending from a first end 52 to a second end 54. The bone plate has a top surface and a bone facing surface opposite the top surface. Bone plate 50 may also include at least one fixation hole 56 extending through a thickness of the body from the top surface to the bone facing surface. For example, bone plate 50 may include one or more fixation holes 56 adjacent one end of the bone plate and one or more additional fixation holes 58 adjacent an opposite end. Each fixation hole 56, 58 may define a fixation hole cross-sectional size (e.g., diameter), which may be the same or different for each fixation hole defined by the bone plate.

The size and configuration of bone plate 50 may vary, e.g., depending on the specific patent and the procedure in which the bone plate is being used. In one example, bone plate 50 is configured for fusion of metatarsal (e.g., first metatarsal) to a cuneiform (e.g., medial cuneiform) across a tarsal-metatarsal joint. For example, bone plate 50 may have a length configured to position first end 52 on a first metatarsal 102 of a foot and second end 54 on a medial cuneiform 100 of the foot.

Driving pin 10 may be configured for use with bone plate 50 (or a bone plate having a different configuration). For example, bone penetrating region 16 may have a smaller cross-sectional size than the fixation hole of the bone plate. Bone plate orienting region 20 may have a cross-sectional size substantially equivalent to that of than the fixation hole of the bone plate. Driving region 18 and/or fourth region 22 may have a cross-sectional size larger than that of the fixation hole of the bone plate.

In some applications, a clinician may utilize a drill guide 60 to help guide driving pin 10 through the fixation hole(s) of the bone plate during operation. When used, drill guide 60 can extend from the top surface of the bone plate about the fixation hole. Bone plate orienting region 20 of driving pin 10 may or may not have a length equal to or greater than a length of the of the drill guide to accommodate use of the use of drill guide 60.

In use, a clinician may insert bone penetrating region 16 of driving pin 10 through fixation hole 56 and/or 58 of bone plate 50. The clinician can couple driving region 18 of driving pin 10 to a driver (if a powered driver is to be used). The clinician can engage the driver or otherwise apply force to drive driving pin 10 through the fixation hole and into the underlying bone over which the fixation hole is positioned. The clinician can drive the driving pin down until, for example, fourth region 22 of the driving pin contacts the top of the drill guide 60 (when used) or bone plate 50 (when drill guide 60 is not used). When driven into the underlying bone, bone plate orienting region 20 of driving pin 10 may be co-linear with the fixation hole and/or drill guide of the bone plate.

With driving pin 10 holding bone plate 50 into the underlying bone, the clinician may rotate the bone plate around the bone plate orienting region 20 of the driving pin to adjust a position of one or more fixation holes adjacent an opposite end of the bone plate. Accordingly, bone plate orienting region 20 can act as a pivot point for aligning the bone plate on and over the bone portions to be fixated using the bone plate. With the bone plate appropriately positioned, the clinician can remove the driving pin from the fixation hole and insert a bone fixation member into the fixation hole to permanently anchor the bone plate to the underlying bone. In some examples, the bone anchoring member is a bone screw. When drill guide 60 is used, the drill guide can be removed from bone plate 50 before the bone fixation member is inserted into the hole created by drive pin 10.

A driving pin according to the disclosure can be useful to create an opening in a bone for subsequently installing a bone fixation member. The length of driving pin 10 inserted into the bone during use may have a diameter less than that of a drill bit that may otherwise be used by a clinician to create the opening. For example, a drill bit otherwise used to create an opening in a bone for subsequently installing a bone fixation member may have a diameter substantially the same as that of the fixation hole. Further, the depth to which the drill bit is inserted into the bone may not be precisely controlled. This may create bone trauma issues, particularly when a clinician needs to realign a bone plate after creating one or more initial holes in the bone.

For example, FIG. 6 is a sectional view of an example bone 100 showing an example initial installation position for bone plate 50. In this example, driving pin 10A is shown inserted through a fixation hole of the bone plate to a maximum depth of insertion. A hypothetical drill bit opening 62A is shown overlaying the opening in bone 100 created by driving pin 10A. Drill bit opening 62A represents the opening in bone 100 that may be created if a drill bit is used instead of driving pin 10A.

After positioning bone plate 50 and creating an opening in bone 100 as shown in FIG. 6 , a clinician may check the position of the bone plate. For example, the clinician may generate a fluoroscopic image (x-ray) of the bone and plate attached thereto (which may be a temporary or provisional attachment) to check the position of the plate relative to an intended position desired by the clinician. If the clinician determines that bone plate 50 is not accurately positioned, the clinician may reorient bone plate 50 one bone 100 and create a new opening in bone 100 at the new position of the bone plate.

For example, FIG. 7 is a sectional view of bone 100 showing an example modified installation position for bone plate 50. In this example, driving pin 10B (which may be the same driving pin as driving pin 10A) is shown inserted through a fixation hole of the bone plate to a maximum depth of insertion. A hypothetical drill bit opening 62B is shown overlaying the opening in bone 100 created by driving pin 10B. Drill bit opening 62B represents the opening in bone 100 that may be created if a drill bit is used instead of driving pin 10B.

FIG. 8 illustrates the initial driving pin placement position of FIG. 6 overlaid with the modified driving pin placement position of FIG. 7 . As FIG. 8 illustrates, drill bit opening 62A significantly overlaps with drill bit opening 62B in the intersection region 70. This can create a cavity within bone 100 that is larger than the diameter of the fixation member inserted through bone plate 50 (and larger than the drill bit used to create either individual opening). As a result, the fixation member inserted into the opening in bone 100 at the modified installation position may not securely engage in bone 100. By contrast, the opening created by driving pin 10A does not intersect, or only slightly intersects, the opening created by driving pin 10B. This can help ensure that a fixation member inserted into the opening in bone 100 at the modified installation position securely engages the bone.

Various examples have been described. These and other examples are within the scope of the following claims. 

1. A method comprising: inserting a bone penetrating region of a driving pin adjacent a distal end of the driving pin through a fixation hole of a bone plate; positioning a bone plate orienting region of the driving pin co-linear with the fixation hole of the bone plate; and coupling a driving region of the driving pin adjacent a proximal end of the driving pin with a driver; wherein the bone penetrating region has a smaller cross-sectional thickness than the bone plate orienting region, the bone plate orienting region has a smaller cross-sectional thickness than the driving region, and the bone plate orienting region has a size corresponding to the fixation hole of the bone plate.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein inserting the bone penetrating region through the fixation hole further comprises engaging the driver and driving the bone penetrating region into a bone underlying the fixation hole over which the bone plate is positioned.
 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the bone is a metatarsal of a foot.
 4. The method of claim 2, wherein the bone is a cuneiform of a foot.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein: the bone plate further comprises a drill guide extending from the top surface of the bone plate about the fixation hole; inserting the bone penetrating region comprises inserting the bone penetrating region through the drill guide; and positioning the bone plate orienting region co-linear with the fixation hole comprises positioning the bone plate orienting region co-linear with the drill guide.
 6. The method of claim 5, wherein the driving pin further defines a fourth region of greater cross-sectional thickness than the bone penetrating region, the driving region, and the bone plate orienting region; and inserting the bone penetrating region comprises inserting the bone penetrating region until the fourth region contacts the drill guide.
 7. The method of claim 1, further comprising rotating the bone plate about the bone plate orienting region of the driving pin, while the bone penetrating region of the driving pin is inserted into a bone underlying the fixation hole over which the bone plate is positioned, to adjust a position of one or more secondary fixation holes on the bone plate.
 8. The method of claim 1, further comprising removing the driving pin from the fixation hole and inserting a bone anchoring member into the fixation hole and into a bone underlying the fixation hole over which the bone plate is positioned to permanently anchor the bone plate to the underlying bone.
 9. The method of claim 8, wherein the bone anchoring member is a bone screw.
 10. The method of claim 1, wherein: the bone penetrating region has a diameter ranging from 0.1 mm to 2 mm; the bone plate orienting region has a diameter ranging from 0.5 to 3 mm; and the driving region has a diameter ranging from 1.6 mm to 3.7 mm.
 11. The method of claim 10, wherein: the bone penetrating region has a diameter ranging from 1 mm to 2 mm; and the bone plate orienting region has a diameter ranging from 1 mm to 2 mm.
 12. The method of claim 1, wherein the bone penetrating region, the driving region, and the bone plate orienting region each have a circular cross-sectional shape.
 13. The method of claim 12, wherein: the driving pin further defines a fourth region of greater cross-sectional thickness than the bone penetrating region, the driving region, and the bone plate orienting region; the fourth region is positioned proximally of the bone plate orienting region and has a cross-sectional thickness greater than the fixation hole diameter; and the fourth region has a different cross-sectional shape than a remainder of the driving pin.
 14. The method of claim 1, wherein the driving region tapers to a point at the distal end, and further comprising a tapered cross-sectional dimension transition between the driving region and the bone plate orienting region.
 15. A method comprising: inserting a bone penetrating region of a driving pin adjacent a distal end of the driving pin through a fixation hole of a bone plate; positioning a bone plate orienting region of the driving pin co-linear with the fixation hole of the bone plate; driving the bone penetrating region of the driving pin inserted through the fixation hole of the bone plate into an underlying bone that is one of a metatarsal or a cuneiform, wherein driving the bone penetrating region of the driving pin comprises coupling a driving region of the driving pin adjacent a proximal end of the driving pin with a driver and driving the bone penetrating region with the driver; and subsequent to driving the bone penetrating region of the driving pin into the underlying bone, removing the driving pin from the fixation hole and inserting a bone anchoring member into the fixation hole and into the underlying bone; wherein the bone penetrating region has a smaller cross-sectional thickness than the bone plate orienting region, the bone plate orienting region has a smaller cross-sectional thickness than the driving region, and the bone plate orienting region has a size corresponding to the fixation hole of the bone plate.
 16. The method of claim 15, wherein the underlying bone is the metatarsal.
 17. The method of claim 15, further comprising rotating the bone plate about the bone plate orienting region of the driving pin, while the bone penetrating region of the driving pin is inserted into the underlying bone, to adjust a position of one or more secondary fixation holes on the bone plate.
 18. The method of claim 15, wherein: the bone plate further comprises a drill guide extending from the top surface of the bone plate about the fixation hole; inserting the bone penetrating region comprises inserting the bone penetrating region through the drill guide; and positioning the bone plate orienting region co-linear with the fixation hole comprises positioning the bone plate orienting region co-linear with the drill guide.
 19. The method of claim 15, wherein the bone anchoring member is a bone screw.
 20. The method of claim 15, wherein: the bone penetrating region has a diameter ranging from 0.1 mm to 2 mm; the bone plate orienting region has a diameter ranging from 0.5 to 3 mm; and the driving region has a diameter ranging from 1.6 mm to 3.7 mm. 